From White Star Line to Cunard Line Founded in 1845, the White Star Line was taken over in 1867 by Thomas Henry Ismay, who transformed the company into a specialist in the transport of passengers to and from luxury liners. His son, Jopseh Bruce Ismay, replaced him in 1899. The White Star Line ran into […]

Transatlantic companies in the boom era of Cherbourg’s harbour With the huge increase in emigration, numerous ships from foreign maritime companies made regular stop-overs in Cherbourg harbour, made accessible by train in 1958. Whereas only three transatlantic companies used the port of Cherbourg in 1900, the number rose to seven in 1913 and eleven in […]

Construction of the first terminal building in Cherbourg With the number of passengers coming through Cherbourg increasing steadily, the group of tents acting as a terminal were becoming rapidly insufficient. They were replaced by a permanent stone structure which was inaugurated in 1912 and housed the various maritime companies and included a central […]

Having left Southampton on April 10th 1912 under the orders of Captain John Smith, the Titanic arrived in Cherbourg late afternoon, more than an hour and a half late due to an incident with the liner New York at Southampton. The two tenders, Nomadic and Traffic, began conveying the 281 passengers on land out to […]